A task force of clean-up campaigners is to be set up in Burton following complaints of eyesores including overgrown grass in St Modwen's graveyard and shopping trolleys floating down the River Trent.

Ian Siddalls, an executive committee member of the Burton Civic Society, is planning to get a group together to give the town a big clean-up after spotting overgrown grass at the back of the church and shopping trolleys left abandoned in the river.

He snapped these pictures at the Washlands, the memorial ground at St Modwen's and in the water under Andressey Bridge and has been in contact with East Staffordshire Borough Council over his plans.

A spokesman for the authority confirmed plans were in place to clean up areas of the town, with talks held with the Civic Society on the need for action.

Shopping trolleys have spotted floating along the River Trent (Image: Ian Siddalls)

Mr Siddalls said: "I personally cannot understand why the areas have been left to get overgrown so much. It so sad to see these gravestones like this, it was never like this when I was a child.

"Overgrown areas will attract criminal activity which has been seen by the public, I personally want to see the town promoting more to attract visitors, we have great open walks but this just lets it down for us all.

"I'm all for starting some kind of task force to help in all this if permission would be given. I'm personally all for starting a work task force to help and rectify and clean areas."

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The borough council has said its open spaces team will begin work over the next few months to improve some of the green areas of the town centre.

The work will be undertaken as part of open spaces plans to enhance the provision of the Washlands Green Flag accreditation, as well as opening up the Washlands to the town centre as part of the Town Centre Regeneration Programme.

This is just one of the areas in Burton that need to be cleared up according to Ian Siddalls

The initial work will focus on the area behind Andressey Passage known as the Abbott's Garden. Campaigners say the area needs modernising for future generations and it is the intention of the open spaces team to return it to a blank canvas ready for new planting works to take place in 2018.

They will then turn their attentions to the Memorial and Remembrance Gardens, the library area, the Cherry Orchard and areas further afield on the Washlands.

Colin Whittaker, deputy leader for cultural services, said: "Short, medium and long-term plans are being devised that will provide a timeframe for the work that needs to be carried out by the open spaces team.

"The hard work undertaken by the team will go on to improve the provision of the green spaces already available within the town centre and create a natural link between them and the Washlands."

Ian wants to start a task force to make the town more welcoming to visitors (Image: Ian Siddalls)

Julia Jessel, deputy leader for town centre and neighbourhoods, said: "The greening of the town centre was one of the original projects defined by the Town Centre Regeneration Programme and we are happy to see that improvements are being planned.

"There are some areas in serious need of renovation and once these particular areas are improved they will only go on to improve the experiences for residents of, and visitors to, the Burton area."

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Richard Grosvenor, leader of the council, said: "By implementing this work hopefully the residents and visitors to Burton will see that East Staffordshire Borough Council is committed in its attempts to improve the town centre and surrounding areas.

"This is a small step in what we hope to be a much bigger programme with the ongoing work we would like to undertake between ourselves, Staffordshire County Council and our key partners."